Here is a compendium of current issues that affect Ohio’s public entities, plus McGown & Markling news of note.
In the case of Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow v. Ohio Dept. of Edn., Slip Opinion No. 2018-Ohio-3126, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled that the Ohio Department of Education (“ODE”) may require evidence of durational data regarding students in order for online-based or electronic learning schools to qualify for state funding. In this case, ODE was seeking […]
With the increased popularity of crowdfunding sites such as GoFundMe, crowdrise, and DonorsChoose to raise money for school purchases, schools are faced with new legal challenges and issues. To combat these issues, the Auditor of the State of Ohio (“Auditor”) released a guide entitled, “Schools and Crowdfunding” to help schools avoid liability and audit violations […]
The Ohio Attorney General announced in June 2018 that the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (“BCI”) will begin assisting school districts in increasing their safety efforts. As part of this effort, the BCI is offering the use of its drones to take free aerial photographs of school buildings for inclusion in school safety plans. These aerial […]
In a ruling that could cost public-sector unions millions and result in the transformation of organized labor in this country, the United States Supreme Court found in Janus v. AFCSME, Supreme Court No. 16-3638, that states and public-sector unions may no longer collect agency fees from non-consenting employees. Over forty years ago, the United States […]
House Bill 21, which goes into effect on September 28, 2018, requires community schools to verify the residency of students at various times of enrollment. The act requires community schools to verify a student’s residency upon enrollment and on an annual basis. Additionally, community schools must conduct monthly reviews of the residency records of their […]
Amended House Bill 8, which goes into effect on September 28, 2018, requires public offices to redact personal information from any record related to a traffic accident involving a school vehicle in which a minor was the occupant of the vehicle at the time of the accident. Specifically, the act exempts from disclosure under the […]
On February 26, 2018, the United States Supreme Court heard arguments in Janus v. AFCSME, Supreme Court No. 16-3638, a case that could decide the fate of organized labor in the United States. At issue in Janus is the continued validity of “fair share” or “agency” fees. Over forty years ago, the United States Supreme […]
On February 13, 2018, the Ohio Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow v. Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Supreme Court No. 2017-0913, a case in which the Ohio Supreme Court is asked to determine whether the Ohio Department of Education (“ODE”) can require online community schools, or eschools, to provide durational records […]